State Plant Board Votes to Adopt Rule Change for Dicamba Use

The Arkansas Agriculture Department’s State Plant Board voted at a public hearing and special board meeting on February 20 to approve regulatory changes for application of dicamba herbicides on dicamba-tolerant crops in Arkansas.

The proposed new rule is applicable to all current (Engenia, Fexapan, and Xtendimax) and future dicamba products registered for in-crop use in Arkansas. Changes regarding dicamba use in the proposed rule include:

· Restrictions on in-crop applications of dicamba from May 26 to October 31.

· A half-mile buffer zone required around all non-dicamba crops when dicamba is applied.

· A one-mile buffer zone for university and USDA research stations, certified organic crops and commercially grown specialty crops between April 16 and May 25.

· Prohibiting the mixing of dicamba with glyphosate between April 16 and May 25.

The entire “Arkansas Regulations on Pesticide Use” can be viewed here, and the approved changes regarding dicamba are available here.

The Board’s regulatory changes concerning the use of dicamba were subject to a 30-day public comment period, and 2,647 public written comments were received. Eighty-seven individuals provided testimony at the public hearing.

The rule change will now be submitted to the Joint Budget Committee’s Administrative Rule and Regulation Review Subcommittee, which is scheduled to meet on Monday, February 25. If approved by this subcommittee, the proposed rule will be sent to the full Joint Budget Committee for review. If approved by the Joint Budget Committee, the new rule will be filed with the Secretary of State’s office and will become effective ten days after the filing date.

The Arkansas Agriculture Department offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer